Monday, February 22, 2010

Much hullabaloo was made over the fact that Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island was moved from a prime, Oscar-bait release date last fall, to the dread of mid-February, typically a place holder month for garbage studio's want to quickly dispose of. Why would the films distributor, Paramount Pictures, make such a move for such a well-pedigreed film. Money? Production problems? The film sucked? Why? Well, after viewing Scorsese's Shutter Island, I don't care, all I care about is the smooth finesse of an amazing filmmaker putting under the spell of submission to his well-polished suspense noir. It may not be an Oscar film, but who cares; it's a spellbinding mystery-- one that has deeper intentions for the more serious moviegoer, but also works a classic whodunnit thriller for the fans looking for genre fun. It may have been old hat for a filmmaker so accomplished, but really who cares: Shutter Island, in the grand Hitchcockian tradition of suspense, is a technically extraordinary piece of pop filmmaking.

Everything feels deliberate in Shutter Island, from the Bernard Hermann-like orchestration, to the camera moves by ace cinematography Robert Richardson (a favorite of both Scorsese and Tarantino.) And sometimes, I strongely think, that when even an untrained eye (hey, I'm no filmmaker) can spot the technical percision of scenes, from the sound to the camera work, to the production; when all these forces come together in a startling and revealing way, it makes for an exciting movie. I believe even the detractors of this film will undeniably say it's a well-made movie. That part is exciting for me as fan, but what else is exciting about Shutter Island is that it's all wrapped up in a question.

The film is exclusively set on an island in Boston Harbor (circa 1954) where a mental instition sits called Ashcliffe. It's like Alcatrax for the crazies. First we meet "duly appointed federal marshall" Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio-- in his fourth outing with Scorsese after Gangs of New York, The Aviator and The Departed) vomiting on a ferry boat; then meeting his partner Chuck (Mark Ruffalo), and right off the bat, there's something off-kilter-- the dialouge is very pulpy, a tad stylized. The frame is foggy. We, with the cops, are being transported into a very movieland experience. But one rooted in historical context, with 50s Cold War era a perfect setting for a film exploring the nature of sanity. All of that plays into Teddy, a vetern of the WWII, still tramuaized. Teddy is also carrying another burden, the loss of wife Dolores (Michelle Williams.) Not giving anything away here; it's all in the first scene of the film.

Once docked on the island, everything is a bit queer-- again playing with Cold War conventions of mind control; even the patients of Ashecliffe seem knowledgable of A-bombs and human experiemention. Teddy and Chuck are there specifically because a patient-- Rachel Solondo, apparently disappeared the night before. She escaped from her locked on the outside, barred-in room, as Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley), chief of Ashecliffe describes, "it's as if she evaporated." However, this is only the icing on the cake, and as with, I feel compelled to divulge nothing more of the principle plot, as the twists, and Scorsese's masterful turning of the screw are a real pleasure, one that should be naturally felt and admired, not damaged. The twists have this effect of being predictable and not all at once. There's familiar beats that suspenseful films (even the great ones) take on sometimes, and yet it's all the way it's staged. Like Hitchcock, Scorsese handles some of these turns with great applomb, always keeping the audience one step ahead, and one step behind at the same time. And the delight of Shutter Island, is that this a rare mystery that ends in a mystery. It's far from the director's best, but his slight of hand tricks are just as unnerving as ever.

Technically as stated, the film is amazing from Dante Ferretti's creepy sets, to Richardson's cinematography and Sandy Powell's costumes. All of them are Scorsese vets, and again do ace work. More credit should go to his longtime film editor Thelma Schoonmaker, who keep the pace and tone of Shutter Island; I thought the film was a bit too long, but had a great ebb and flow sense. The performances are terrific-- DiCaprio finds the tricky balance of his performance, and plays to that question at the center, without giving an answer. The supporting cast includes Kingsley, Ruffalo, Williams, and etereal Emily Mortimer as the missing patient, and a magnetic Patricia Clarkson (all I will say is that her one scene is probably my favorite of the film.)

There's a surprise-- I wasn't expecting the British contingent to really go full force for The Hurt Locker, however with filmmaking that strong and vastly superior, I am delighted. I suppose you can sign me up for Team Bigelow.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

BEST DIRECTOR: Roman Polanski, The Ghost Writer-- opened in NY & LA Friday, film stars Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan; Polanski couldn't accept his prize because he still under house arrest for his 70s action.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Here, are as I see them, the pros and cons of the 10 Best Pictures and their chances of winning.

AVATARPros:

9 Oscar nominations, the most of this year (tied with The Hurt Locker)

Biggest box office smash of all time

Golden Globe winner for Best Picture drama (the first ever for a science fiction film)

Widespread nominations from many of the filmmaking disciplines (art direction, cinematography, editing, sound, music), as well as widespread love from the guilds.

ABC would love for it to happen (i.e.-- let's boost those sagging Oscar ratings)

James Cameron has crafted and undisputed game-changer of a film-- love it or hate it, it's a force to be reckoned with...

Cons:

Widespread guild love didn't come from the actors branch (which is the largest portion of the Academy), nor the writers branch-- no film has won best picture without a screenplay or acting nomination since Grand Hotel in the 1930s.

Some may not take it seriously-- the Academy is made up of stuffy, older film snobs, and genre films have never been their cup of tea.

Neither has science-fiction films, despite two being nominated this year.

It's the biggest box office champ of all time, that may hurt it, as much as it helps.

James Cameron may be respected, but I doubt he's loved-- the Academy roots for it's friends.

Cameron and team, already won for a game-changer in 1998; that may be enough.

BEST YOUNG ACTORTaylor Lautner, The Twilight Saga: New MoonBailee Madison, BrothersBrooklynn Proulx, The Time Traveler's WifeMax Records, Where the Wild Things AreSaorsie Ronan, The Lovely BonesKodi Smit-McPhee, The Road

The film Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire, with it's awkward and tongue twisting title has been a subject of debate and a certain level of resistance since it opened last November. Now that film scored six Oscar nominations, including best picture, that debate has perhaps reached it apex. On February 4, two days after the nominations were revealed, writer Ishmael Reed wrote an Op-Ed column in The New York Times, criticizing the film for reinforcing black stereotypes and accused the film of making middle class white audiences feel good about themselves, and that the film was made more so for them, than any black community. Reed writes:

"In guilt-free bits of merchandise like “Precious,” white characters are always portrayed as caring. There to help. Never shown as contributing to the oppression of African-Americans."

He continues by stating that the film has only been publicly endorsed by white audience, since it's debut in Sundance (where the film won the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award, the first time in that's festival's history), to the white critics that phrased it on it's marketing material, all the way the AMPAS that nominated it for best picture. Reed also comments on the theme of incest in the film, questioning whether that's a predominately African American trait, and the problem with indoctrinating the title character in "white"-endorsed educational society, the one form of redemption in Clareece "Precious" Jones' life.

I've heard murmurs of controversy over Precious in newspaper articles and online tirades ever since the film opened, but I think Mr. Reed is overreaching here on more than a couple of levels. And the first thing is, how many white characters are there in Precious, I personally remember only one-- the female director of the school that Clareece (Gabourey Sidibe) gets kicked out of at the beginning. But that small part is really isn't the point. The characters that really help Precious get out of monstrous home life are her teacher Ms. Rain (Paula Patton) and Ms. Weiss (Mariah Carey), last time I checked neither Patton nor Carey were white. But I digress, I don't really see how a film like Precious seems to exist only to make white audience members feel good about themselves. I liked the movie a lot, but honestly, as a white audience member it wasn't exactly a happy movie going experience. It's brutal, but felt honest.

And I think that's where the problem lies-- possibly it feels to honest. The performances, especially those from Sidibe, as the victimized and abused and Mo'Nique as the abuser are so nakedly up there on the screen that it's hard for it not to come off incendiary. But the two actresses never fall into the realm of cliche poor "ghetto" folk. The point of Precious is not in she's illiterate, or that her father raped her (illiteracy and incest have never been purely black or white problems, they're universal, they just happen to be hers), the point is finding redemption in oneself over adversity. Clareece does this by writing, and as the film progresses she becomes better and more eloquent; she's not necessarily getting schooled by a purely "white" curriculum, as Mr. Reed asserts in comparing the film to the Michelle Pfieffer film Dangerous Minds, but in it she seeks out the confidence to rid herself from the abuse.

In truth, the film is a bit muddled and visually schizophrenic, but I forgive it because of it's performances and the enthusiasm that director Lee Daniels exhibits-- he knows the right points when to hold back, and where to let it go without a net. And in the truth, and faux happy ending is entirely that, Precious, in many ways, won't be able carry on that emotional redemption into something tangible, but again there's a simplicity and honesty about that. Just because a story doesn't happily, doesn't mean it doesn't have something to offer, and that's true of all races. Some stories won't end well, and for filmmakers that have the guts to not sugar coat said stories deserve a little bit of credit.

In all honestly I think Mr. Reed meant to criticize the other best picture nominated film about an obese, illiterate African American: The Blind Side. For that film perfectly defines his idea of how white people are helpful, caring and philanthropic to the racial cause without questioning their role in it. Am I wrong? I don't mean to keep harping on the film, but for everything that feels real and acutely observed about Precious feels misguided and almost fantastical in The Blind Side. On serves as a gritty reminder of the hideousness that some people have to endure and the other serves as a tacky Hollywood by-product that seems about 20 outdated.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Up in the Airwritten by Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turnerbased on the book by Walter Kirn

Established in 1988, the USC Scriptor Awards are an award given out the Friends of the USC Libraries, an organization that supports funding for the written and digital materials at USC libraries, they honor the adaptation of films, and honor both the screenwriters and the original authors.

In bold are USC Scriptors winners that also won the best adapted screenplay Oscar...so as you can see they aren't exactly the greatest prognisticators, but with Up in the Air's bountiful boon (the Golden Globe, Critics Choice Award, and a multitude of critics prizes, it's the clear frontrunner.)

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Here is a chart chronicling the critical and box office scores of our "Top Ten" respectively. I compiled the scores each received from Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic and the Broadcast Film Critics Association (aka: The Critics Choice), compiling how well respected each "candidate really is critically vs. the populist vote (aka: YOUR MONEY!), surprised at which film ranks last our terms of merit....hmmmmmm!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Ok, I'm trying to keep breathing, but I just want to scream-- The Blind Side, really? The freaking Blind Side is a best picture nominee. Out of all the scenarios in the world, I couldn't see it actually happen. Everything else is fine, really it's fine, good to great films all of the above, except one. I've been hearing murmers about it being a possibilty, but I couldn't believe it until I saw with my own eyes. And now I want to stab my own eyes to stop the pain. Why, Academy must you do this to ME?

BEST DIRECTOR

Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

James Cameron, Avatar

Lee Daniels, Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

Jason Reitman, Up in the Air

Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

All predicted by just about everyone. I approve however.

BEST ACTOR

Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

George Clooney, Up in the Air

Colin Firth, A Single Man

Morgan Freeman, Invictus

Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Again, all predicted, I approve with the boring exception of Mr. Freeman. I'm proud the Academy didn't get all Invictus in our faces, but out of the five performances above, which do you remember the least?

BEST ACTRESS

Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

Helen Mirren, The Last Station

Carey Mulligan, An Education

Gabourey Sidibe, Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Again, all predicted-- damn you Sandra Bullock and your cute-ness-- I'm not buying it; what did you do?

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Matt Damon, Invictus

Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

Christopher Plummer, The Last Station

Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones

Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

It's been these same five names all season, and really I thought if anything was gonna change it would be Matt Damon's work which isn't all that interesting....just saying!

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Penelope Cruz, Nine

Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air

Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart

Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air

Mo'Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

The biggest shock is Maggie Gyllenhaal, who I thought was fairly dull in Crazy Heart, robbing a slot deserving to either Julianne Moore in A Single Man or one of the Inglourious Basterds gals. Nothing against Gyllenhaal, I adore her, and think she should have at least two nominations already (for Secretary and Happy Endings), but I resent her inclusion here, with what is her least spectacular part. Surprised Cruz was able to stay afloat since Nine all but died months ago-- they must really like her?

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

The Hurt Locker- Mark Boal

Inglourious Basterds- Quentin Tarantino

The Messenger- Alessandro Caman & Oren Moverman

A Serious Man- Ethan Coen & Joel Coen

Up- Bob Peterson, Pete Doctor & Thomas McCarthy

This is good and bad thing-- everything up there is good-- really happy The Messenger sneaked in (it's a wonderful movie), however sad it took away (500) Days of Summer, which had it's only Oscar chance slip away. BOO!

I knew Bright Star would get in here, too bad it didn't get in anywhere else-- that movie is soooo pretty. I would argue that Jane Campion makes 19th Century England even more dreamy than Pandora.

BEST FILM EDITING

Avatar- Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua & James Cameron

District 9- Julian Clarke

The Hurt Locker- Bob Murawski & Chris Innis

Inglourious Basterds- Sally Menke

Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire- Joe Klotz

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Avatar- James Horner

Fantastic Mr. Fox- Alexandre Desplat

The Hurt Locker- Marco Beltrami & Buck Sanders

Sherlock Holmes- Hans Zimmer

Up- Michael Giacchino

I know I must sound like a broken record, but is James Horner's score really considered that good? I thought it was awful, and frankly took me out the movie more than a couple of times.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

"Almost There," The Princess & the Frog- by Randy Newman

"Down in New Orleans," The Princess & the Frog- by Randy Newman

"Loin de Paname," Paris 36- by Reinhardt Wagner & Frank Thomas

"Take it All," Nine- by Maury Yeston

"The Weary Kind,' Crazy Heart- by Ryan Bingham & T-Bone Burnett

BEST DOCUMENARY SHORT SUBJECT

China's Unnatural Disaster

The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner

The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant

Music by Prudence

Rabbit a la Berlin

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

French Roast

Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty

The Lady & the Reaper

Logorama

A Matter of Loaf & Death

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

The Door

Instead of Abracadabra

Kavi

Miracle Fish

The New Tenants

BEST MAKE-UP

Il Divo

Star Trek

The Young Victoria

BEST SOUND MIXING

Avatar

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Star Trek

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

BEST SOUND EDITING

Avatar

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Star Trek

Up

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Avatar

District 9

Star Trek

Alright, I think I've calmed down slightly, but still The Blind Side, I think I would've been happier if the surprise nominee was The Hangover or The Jonas Brothers 3-D Experience (just kidding about that), but still it's not right. I find it odd that the only nominations it got were Picture and Actress, proving there wasn't any other conceivable place to nominate it. I'm just going to say it: it's the worst best picture nominee in the last 20 years, potentially even longer. Once it's stopped being remembered as a huge moneymaker, and the maturing side of Ms. Bullock, what left to remember about it? I'm not trying to be mean, but am I the only one who saw the freaking thing....it's not that good! Anyway, enough of that...yay District 9! And Inglourious Basterds! And The Hurt Locker! And Up! And Precious! And Up in the Air!

BEST ORIGINAL SONG:"Jai Ho," Slumdog Millionaire-- that stupid song is still winning awards after irritating me so much last year-- boo! And it was against Bruce Springstein's "The Wrestler" and Karen O.'s song from Where the Wild Things Are....ugh!

I post this just because I hope the bountifully talented Mr. Giacchino gets the right recognition for Up. I love his scores for The Incredibles, WALL-E, and "Lost." I think he's probably in the lead to, with the Golden Globe win.

This will be proven irrelevant in about 7 1\2 hours, but what the hell, here are my go-for-broke, 11th hour predictions for the Academy Awards.

BEST PICTURE

Avatar

An Education

District 9

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Invictus

Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

A Serious Man

Up

Up in the Air

Avatar, Hurt Locker, Precious, Basterds and Up in the Air are totally for-sure things in-- the rest are somewhat shakier. An Education fits right in with the Academy safe zone (period movie, British casts, respectable, and slightly boring), as does Invictus, again boring. District 9 and A Serious Man are both passion pieces in that people that love them, really looooove them. And Up, because Pixar rocks, and WALL-E was robbed last year, and they know it.